Easy Diabetic Meals with Bittermelons

Bittermelons have natural insulin compound so they're great for making easy diabetic meals.

If you're looking to cook some easy diabetic meals, consider this vegetable. Bittermelon is absolutely a nutrient packed vegetable that's under-utilized. Consider it the vegetarian food for diabetes.

This are bitter gourds or bittermelons known to contain chemical compounds that act as Insulin to maintain blood sugar levels in Diabetics.

Bitter Melons or Bitter Gourds have long been known in Asia as the vegetable or a vegetarian food for Diabetes. They are green with smooth spikes or bumps.

It taste a little bitter but when cooked right, it's real tasty. I guess you just have to adopt to the taste first in order to reap the benefits.

When I was young, I've always seen my Mom make 'Kinilaw' which means raw sliced bitter melons with some lemon juice or 'limosito' - the name for those tiny lemons native to the Philippines.

My Mom would slice the bitter gourds ever so thinly, sprinkle it with salt and let it sit for a few minutes as the vegetable release it's bitter taste.

She then would squeeze the liquid out of them and rinse. After they're rinsed, she'd put some fresh lemon juice in them for a refreshing 'kinilaw'.

There are a lot of other health benefits of Bitter Melons besides maintaining insulin levels in diabetics; such as treating various skin conditions like Psoriasis, skin abscess, wounds, stomach disorders and skin infections.

Example of easy diabetic meals with Bittermelon cooked in coconut milk with garlic and lemon grass served over steamed rice. This vegetable may be cooked several ways as well. This is a must try.

Bittermelon Recipe

Bittermelons from the backyard garden

Coconut Milk pressed from fresh coconut

Salt & Pepper

Lemon Grass

5 Garlic Cloves crushed (amount of garlic is to your preference)

Cut the bitter gourd in half and take the seeds out. Then slice them in thin strips. Set aside.

Put the coconut milk in a Get the Wok or Deep Frypan and add the garlic, lemon grass (slightly pounded).

Add the sliced vegetable and let it boil stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is gone.

Take it out of the pan and serve over hot steamy rice.

Note: As the name entails, it is slightly bitter. You have to get used to the taste if you want the health benefits. But for die-hard Filipino food lovers, the more bitter, the better!

This vegetable is common in Asian countries including India. When you get used to the slight bitterness of this food, you will enjoy the taste. Include them in your diet to help maintain the blood sugar levels if you have diabetes for natural insulin.

Some folks love them when the bitterness is strong. I like them mild.

I was always been told as a kid that Bitter Melons are very good for people with Diabetes. As far as I can remember, I haven't seen much or anyone in my old country with this disease and didn't even know what it is until later in life when I saw an amputee uncle. They used to make him bitter melon sauteed with eggs as part of his complete breakfast to help him maintain his insulin levels.

Bitter Melons with coconut milk is one of the diabetic vegetarian recipes that you can try and adopt. You can make the 'kinilaw' recipe as mentioned above but the suggestion is to make the cooked version first to get accustomed to the taste.

Because of the natural insulin compound found in this vegetable, there's no harm to include this bittermelon recipe as part of your easy diabetic meals.

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NOTE to DIABETICS:The body cannot tell what type of sugar it is that you ingest whether it's in the form of fruit juice, smoothies or starchy carbohydrates. Sugar is sugar to the body. So be mindful of portion control. Let's get moving and exercise!

Let juice be thy cup of Joe! Make it your morning beverage.

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